A Comparative Clinical Study of the Safety and Efficacy of Three Toothbrushes

Authors:
  • LSLawrence Spindel
    Lawrence Spindel
  • PPPhilip Person
    Philip Person
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Abstract
This single (examiner) blind, randomized, 4‐week study compared the safety and efficacy of a new electric toothbrush (experimental) regarding plaque removal and reducing gingivitis with two other brushes, an electric brush (control electric) and a manual toothbrush (control hand). Ninety‐six subjects with 1) a minimum of 15 suitable teeth in acceptable occlusion; 2) a minimum gingivitis score of 0.9; and 3) a minimum plaque score of 1.8 were entered into the study. The subjects were randomly assigned to one of 3 groups: a control hand group (31 subjects), an experimental group (32 subjects), and a control electric group (33 subjects). Device use instructions were given according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Two examiners separately determined either gingival scores or plaque scores at baseline and 4 weeks. In regard to gingivitis, use of all 3 brushes for the study period showed statistically significant improvements in gingivitis scores (P values P P values P P P J Periodontol 1992; 63:603–610.